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Review Summary

Whether or not Jet Li has retired from the martial arts movie, “Fearless” may come to be remembered as a late specimen in a different genre: the China-as-underdog flick. For the moment, the notion of a Chinese freedom fighter defending the honor of his nation against a seven-foot Yankee muscleman named Hercules O’Brien (Nathan Jones) remains more or less credible. But tomorrow? Such narratives may lose their punch when China rules the universe. Ably directed by Ronny Yu, a veteran of Hong Kong cinema (“The Bride With White Hair”) who has taken unfortunate steps into Hollywood (“Freddy vs. Jason”) as well as sprightly ones (“Bride of Chucky”), “Fearless” sustains the tradition of ethically inflected Chinese action movies. — Nathan Lee